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“So we should take everything the humans say at face value? We're all lazy, vulgar, thieves then? That's what they say, isn't it?”


Shianni is an outspoken member of the elven community in Denerim as well as a cousin of the City Elf.

Background[]

Shianni was born in a freehold beyond the Elven Alienage in Denerim. When her mother died of a fever when the girl was six, Shianni's uncle Cyrion Tabris came to take her there to live. She mourned her mother and dreamed of her father returning for her, imagining him as a Dalish warrior who would take her away and teach her how to be a true elf.

In time she grew to love the Denerim alienage, however, and even Hahren Valendrian, who initially frightened her. To help with her adjustment and fears about moving to the city, Cyrion gave her a stuffed mabari toy belonging to the City elf Warden when he brought her to Denerim.

Shianni did not appear to desire marriage, and a suitable spouse was never found. She did, however, come to love the alienage and its people, who became her new family and friends. The injustice and squalor of the city elves' lives also fueled her passion to improve their lot as well as sparking her confidence, and she refused to let herself or her loved ones be taken advantage of by humans or even other elves. Personal tragedies served only to strengthen her resolve, and never broke her spirit.[2]

Involvement[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.


In the City Elf Origin, Shianni is the elf who wakes up the City Elf at the beginning, reminding them that today is their wedding day. Shianni is later seen getting into trouble with the son of the Arl of Denerim, Vaughan, which escalates when she knocks out Vaughan with a wine bottle. When Vaughan and his friends later disrupt the City Elf's wedding and kidnap all the women present, Shianni is among the abducted. She is later found in a room with Vaughan and his friends, evidently traumatized. At this point, the City Elf may choose to make a deal with Vaughan (to take a bribe of 40Gold and letting the player and Soris leave unobstructed in exchange for one night with the city elf women), or to kill him and his friends (which will rescue the city elf women but could cause trouble for the whole Alienage).

A specter in the form of Shianni appears to the City Elf Warden within The Gauntlet as part of A Test of Faith quest.

Shianni 2

Shianni during the Alienage crisis

Several months later, Shianni is encountered during the Unrest in the Alienage quest when the Warden enters the Denerim Alienage to investigate a mysterious plague that has recently spread there.

If the Warden is human, she will be particularly abrasive to them, and to a dwarven Warden she will say they don't belong in the Alienage as their kind rarely leaves the Denerim Market District. However, she will become somewhat friendlier and approachable to the Warden if they freed Soris from the Arl of Denerim's Estate earlier on. She is one of the few people within the Alienage who believes foul play is involved with the so called "quarantine".

If the Warden is a City Elf, Shianni will mention the wedding, which will generate a comment of surprise if the love interest of the Warden is in the party at the same time. If the City Elf Warden didn't take Vaughan's bribe, Shianni is happy they survived The Battle of Ostagar and have returned home safely. If the City Elf did accept the bribe, Shianni is angry with the City Elf Warden for having "the nerve" to return to the Alienage and treats them as a nuisance meant to exacerbate their situation. Some of the Warden's companions will then wonder why Shianni is so hostile to the Warden.

At the start of the Defend the Alienage quest during The Final Battle, Shianni will be encountered along with several elves. She will warn the Warden that there is a large group of Darkspawn arriving and the gates won't hold, asking for the Warden's help. The Warden may attempt to persuade Shianni to assist in fighting the Darkspawn or just ask her to either flee or keep out of their way.

She will gift the Dawn Ring as a thanks to the Warden for defending the Alienage.

───────

In the epilogue, a City Elf Warden may name Shianni as the first Bann of Denerim's Alienage at the end of the game.

Regardless of whether she was put forward as Bann or not, Shianni becomes hahren of the alienage after the Battle of Denerim.[1]


Quests[]

City Elf Origin City Elf Origin
Unrest in the Alienage Unrest in the Alienage
The Battle of Denerim The Battle of Denerim

Quotes[]

  • "Touch me and I'll gut you, you pig!"
  • (to other elves during Unrest in the Alienage): "Didn't the wedding teach you people anything? Nobody is coming here to help us. We have to help ourselves."
  • "Andraste's ass, you'd think I'd learn some social graces!"

Notes[]

  • Shianni's rape is confirmed when King Cailan asks about the Denerim Alienage and the City Elf Warden can respond "I killed an arl's son for raping my friend".

Gallery[]

References[]

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